Kornel Fekete-Kovacs

Fekete-Kovács Kornél trumpet, flugelhorn, composer, arranger, orchestrator and conductor Studies: 1988-1992 Jazz Faculty of Béla Bartók Music Conservatory Budapest. He graduated in 1998 from the Jazz Faculty of Franz Liszt Music Academy Budapest. Bands: He was a founding member, artistic leader and soloist of the Budapest Jazz Orchestra from 1998 until 2005. In October 2005, he founded the Modern Art Orchestra, and he has been the artistic leader ever since. In 2006 he formed the Fekete-Kovacs Quintet. His latest founded band is the Kornel Fekete-Kovacs Symphonic Project. During his career he has played in several famous international formations, such as the - IASJ Big Band Copenhagen - European Broadcasting Union Big Band Amsterdam and Budapest - Brande International Music Workshop Orchestra, Denmark - UMO Jazz Orchestra Finland (as a soloist, and composer - conductor) - Central European Jazz Connection (2001 as the delegate of the Hungarian Ministry of Cultural Heritage) - Finnish–Hungarian Jazz Workshop (2001 on behalf of the Hungarian National Radio) - Visegrad 4 Jazz Quartet (since 2002) - East European Artsemble (since 2009) - Visegrad Big Band Other bands: - 1989–1992 Studium Dixieland Band (tarditional jazz) - 1990–1992 Fortinbrass Quintet (mainstream jazz) - 1992–1994 Brass Age (ECM Jazz) - 1993–1998 Oláh Kálmán Sextet (mainstream jazz) - 1998–2005 Budapest Jazz Orchestra (own project, big band jazz) - 1999–2002 Blacksmith Workshop (own project, mainstream jazz) - 2002–2005 Dés László Septet (mainstream jazz) - 2002–2006 Class Jazz Band of Eszter Horgas (crossover, classical and jazz) - 2003–2007 Németh Gábor Project (fusion jazz) - 2004–2007 Tin-Tin Quartet (etno) - 2005– Kristof Bacso Quartet (mainstream jazz) - 2006–2009 Loop Doctors (fusion jazz) As an educator: 1995–2010 trumpet teacher at the Jazz Faculty of Franz Liszt Music Academy 1998– teacher of tumpet, combo classes, big band class, arranging and composing at MZTSZ Kőbánya Music Studio Budapest. As a composer: Among numbers of small compositions and adaptations (see the complete list of compositions bellow), he is the composer of the Budapest Jazz Suite (2001), the first piece written to his former big band, the Budapest Jazz Orchestra. In May 2002, after its Hungarian debut, the Suite was performed in Helsinki by the UMO Jazz Orchestra, conducted by the composer. His second all-night composition for big band, The Wayfarer – Human Circle (2002) was ordered by the Commission of the Hungarian State Radio and was premiered by the European Broadcasting Union Jazz Orchestra in Budapest, May 2002. The Wayfarer was recorded by Budapest Jazz Orchestra with the participation of the American saxophonist David Liebman. Mr Fekete-Kovács is the arranger and co-composer of the Timpani Concerto by Bela Zsoldos (2005). The Dedication Suite was premiered in February of 2005, also by the Budapest Jazz Orchestra. His next piece Christmas Log (2005) has been dedicated for the Modern Art Orchestra. Another three-part piece, written for the Modern Art Orchestra, is The Oak And The Bee (2006), arranged for a ballet choreography. The piece was premiered at the MOL Budapest Jazz Festival, with the participation of the American trumpet player Wallace Roney. In 2007, Kornél Fekete-Kovács collected appr. 90 minutes of original music for a jazz quintet and symphony orchestra and published it under the title Orchestral Works. 8:45 AM/PM (2009) has been performed by a number of symphony orchestras in Hungary. The piece is also arranged for jazz quintet and symphony orchestra. UNION 135 (2009) was written upon the request by the Budapest Festival Center, with the concept of celebrating the 135th anniversary of integration of the two parts of the Hungarian capitol Budapest. Stayin’ Alone (2009) is a composition, written for solo violin, flugelhorn, jazz quartet and symphony orchestra. Among other similarly arranged pieces, Stayin' Alone was recorded in 2009 and published on the album INTEGRO/GRANDEUR, featuring the Fekete-Kovács Quintet and the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2010, he fulfilled the order by the renowned Hungarian cimbalom player, Miklós Lukács with creating a three-movement concerto for cimbalom and orchestra, Elements. Concerto for Violin, Flugelhorn and Orchestra (2012) is performed by the Miskolc Symphony Orchestra. As an arranger, he continuously participates projects in the Hungarian contemporary classical, jazz, folk and pop scene. Among others, he’s been requested by the celebrated composer Péter Eötvös to make an adaptation of his piece Paris–Dakar. Mr Fekete-Kovács is the arranger and fellow composer of the world music symphony Search For Buddha. This is a unique collaboration between Western and Indian classical music. In this brand new project, he’s been working with Sandesh Shandylia and Markus Stochausen. The piece will be premiered in February 2015, by the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Markus Stockhausen, and Tara Baum. His outstanding arrangements are: Jamie Winchester and Róbert Hrutka: Wood and Strings, orchestral production of Katica Illényi, big band works for Veszprém Air Force Big Band, the Central Brass Band of the Hungarian Armed Forces. As a conductor He is leading big bands since 1998, and working as a conductor on a number of concerts and recording sessions with the Modern Art Orchestra, both in big band and symphony orchestra formation. He is regularly conducting the Hungarian Studio Orchestra, mainly during film score recording sessions. Other skills and experience: Steinberg Cubase (since 1990) AVID Pro Tools (since 2002) Sibelius (since 2000) Offices: 2003–2005 member of the board at the Hungarian Jazz Federation, leading its Big Band section. 2001–2004 establisher and organizer of the Budapest Big Band Festivals. 2005– member, and since 2010 president of the Society of Hungarian Jazz Artists. Awards and prizes: 1993 Jazz Juniors Competition, Krakow – best group, best soloist 2000 and 2004 Artisjus Musical Foundation's award (granted by the Hungarian Bureau for the Protection of the Authors' Rights) 2002 eMeRTon prize as the Best Composer of the Year (granted by the Hungarian State Radio) 2004 Coups de Coeur (granted by MIDEM, Cannes, France) 2009 Ferenc Liszt prize (granted by the Hungarian Culture Department) 2010 Orszáczky prize (prize of the Society of Hungarian Composers) 2011 FONOGRAM 2011 Pize – INTEGRO/GRANDEUR The Best Hungarian Jazz Album in 2011. 2011 Jazz Monsters Hall Of Fame – SOKA University of America Played with: He has participated several festivals worldwide playing with many of internationally recognized jazz artists, including Kurt Elling, Misha Piatigorsky, Jonathan Blake, Ugonna Okegwo, Brian Escoferry, Tom Harrell, Ron Escheté, Dave Liebman, Johnny Griffin, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Gary Willis, Joe La Barbera, Bob Magnusson, Mike Garson, Lori Bell, Putter Smith, Peter Sprague, David Binney, Dee De McNeil, Rickey Woodard, Josh Nelson, Wallace Roney, Julian Joseph, Herbie Mann, Merilyn Mazur, Kyle Gregory, Ray Anderson, Igor Butman, Butch Lacy, Mario Gonzi, Silje Nergaard, Perico Sambeat, Bert Joris, Marton Éva, Tony Lakatos, Roby Lakatos, Harlem Gospel Choir, The New York Voices; László Dés, László Gőz László, Mihály Borbély, László HOBO Földes, Mihály Dresch, György Vukán, Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Kálmán Oláh, Aladár Pege, Gábor Gadó, Attila László, Elemér Balázs, Viktor Hárs, Imre Kőszegi, Dezső Lakatos “Ablakos”, Gyula Kovács and many others. As a composer, and/or conductor, and/or soloist he collaborated with the Miskolc Symphony Orchestra, Danubia Symphony Orchestra, MÁV Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra, Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, Vento Scala Symphony Orchestra, Szeged Philharmonic Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra 
 Major performances: • Copenhagen Jazz Festival / 1996 / Copenhagen / Denmark / IASJ Ensemble • Jazz Marciac / 1996 / Marciac / France / Oláh Kálmán Sextet • MONTREAUX Jazz Festival / 2003 / Montreaux / Switzerland / Budapest Jazz Orchestra • MOL Budapest Jazz Festival / 2003 / Budapest / Hungary / Budapest Jazz Orchestra feat. David Liebman. • MIDEM Festival / 2003 / Cannes / France / Budapest Jazz Orchestra • MOL Budapest Jazz Festival / 2004 / Budapest / Hungary - Budapest Jazz Orchestra feat. Johnny Griffin • Concert of Joy / 2005 / Budapest / Hungary / Budapest Jazz Orchestra feat. Bob Mintzer • London Jazz Festival / 2005 / London / U.K. / Dés László Septet • Jazz For Sale Festival / 2007 / Kosice / Slovak Republic / Fekete-Kovacs Quintet • BOHEMIA Jazz Festival / 2010 / Brno / Czeck Repuplic / East European Artsemble • World Exhibition / 2010 / Sanghai / China / Modern Art Orchestra • INTEGRO/GRANDEUR CD premier concert / 2011 / Pallace of Arts Bela Bartok National Concert Hall / Budapest / Hungary / Fekete-Kovacs Quintet feat. Rick Margitza • Almaty Jazz Festival / 2012 and 2013/ Almaty / Kazahstan / Bacso Quartet • Gemer Jazz Festival / 2012 / Roznava / Slovak Republic / Fekete-Kovacs Quintet • Moscow Jazz Festival / 2012 / Moscow, Russia / Visegrad Jazz Quartet • SOKA BluePort Jazz Festival / 2011, 2012, 2013 / Aliso Viejo CA U.S.A. • Symphony Space - New York / 2014 / NYC U.S.A / Modern Art Orchestra • Saransk Jazz Festival / 2014 / Saransk – Russia / Bacso Quartet Selected discography: 1995 Oláh Kálmán Sextet: Night Silence -VBP 031 1999 Bosambo Trio: Tongue Tied - BMC CD 022 1999 Black Smith Workshop: Childhood 'round 2000 - BMC CD 026 1999 László Attila Band: Smart Kid - BMC CD 034 2001 Budapest Jazz Orchestra: Budapest Jazz Suite - BMC CD 065 2002 Faces of Horgas Eszter III. - Class Jazz Band: Spanish Night GR-034 2002
 Márkus Tibor: Are You Free? 2003
 Winand Gábor: Agent spirituel 2003
 Budapest Jazz Orchestra with Dave Liebman: Human Circle - The Wayfarer 2003 Metszetek (Dés Septet) 2003 Németh Gábor Project: Könnyű lépések 2004 Stere Trumpet and Flugelhorn player, composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor